The Big Sandy news. [volume] (Louisa, Ky.) 1885-1929, 1887-09-01
A WESTERN ADVENTURE.
How My Stupidity Came Near
Costing Me My Life.

have knocked about good deal in
my time. from doubling Cape Horn as
sailor. to digging gold as miner
and fighting Indians as scout and
yet the closest escape ever had from
death was with my eyes wide open and
through my own stupidity. Early in
the seventies, was down in the Indian
Territory buying horses for shipment
East | had a partner, and we Travelled
with our own teamin acoyered wagon.
That Territory isn't any too peaceful
now, but in 1928 you not only wanted
a trusty rifle with you. but you wanted
the knack of dropping your man first
Travelling from ranch to ranch as we
did, with every body knowing that we
had money to buy horses with, our sit
uation was one requiring constant Wig
lance. There was never night that
both Of us slept at once, and never a
day that we were not on the watch for
some plan to get the better Of us In
one trip of three months we had five
different watch dogs poisoned, and fin
ally gave up trying to keep one. You
might imagine that it would have
been worth while for some Of the pred
atory bands roaming the country to
make an open attack upon us, but the
fellows reasoned differently. A couple
of men armed with Winchesters and
revolvers, and determined to defend
their own at any cost, are antagonists
not to be despised- Your Western
outlaw with very few exceptions. is
just as careful about getting bullet
into his body as any one else
One day in July. while we were on
the north fork of the Canadian river.
and about twenty miles below Shaw
neetown, one Of the horses in our
team was bitten by a rattlesnake. l
was driving, and ! saw the snake as it
lifted itself from the grass and bit the
horse twice on the leg. 1t was hot
day, the horses we'll heated up, and
the poison took effect very soon. We
had no remedy for it. but were COM
peeled to stand by and see the animal
suffer and die. 1t wasn't quite an
hour after he was struck before he was
dead In buying horses we stipulated
for delivery at certain points, and
thus had no spare ones with us. To
make our team whole one of us must
take the other horse and ride off and
make purchase. / had been over
the route before, and l knew that the
nearest ranch was twelve miles up the
river. 1t was now four o'clock in the
afternoon. and we were within half
mile Of the stream and in wild and
lonely district of country. We had
with us in tin box in the wagon
over four thousand dollars in
gold. and the misfortune to
our horse naturally increased
our anxieties- My partner insisted
that | should be the one to remain with
the wagon, and he had no sooner moved
away than began to make things
secure. The very first move was to
take the tin box from the wagon and
bury it in the ground under the
vehicle. and after that staked out the
horse saw that every firearm was in
good order, and beat around the
camp to drive away any reptiles Turk
ing about.
There was no use in expecting Pat
ton. my partner, back before eight
o'clock or later He would doubtless
find suitable horse at the first ranch,
but the ranchmen might be away, or
there were dozen other reasons to
call for delay. We carried provisions
with us, and at about six o'clock
built a fire and prepared my supper.
and was about to begin eating when
caught sight Of horse and rider APP
preaching camp from the northwest.
Tho ground was open for three or four
miles, and as ! had glass with me
made out, while the horse was yet q
mile and a half away, that he bore q
woman on his back. Had she been 9
snnaw the sight would not have occa-
stoned surprise, but the first look
proved that she was white and that her
horse was jaded and coming slowly,
AS held the glass on her ! saw hei
turn and look back. as one pursued,
a.nl long before she reached me had
become greatly interested in her case.
She rode straight for the wagon. and
when she finally came up herhorse was
worry much blown. and the woman's
faco seemed to botrny hope and fear in
turns She was an average-lookine
fema|e about forty years old, and a.